Big Donors Ramp Up to Fight FCC Net Neutrality Decision

The Federal Communications Commission’s decision last week to begin developing open Internet regulation has left a few big-time political donors and lobbying forces within the telecom industry wondering whether their message got lost in transmission.

Companies such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast have been arguing for years against regulation that would prohibit them from restricting access to Internet content, applications and services, according to The Hill. These companies say “they need to manage Internet traffic to keep services running smoothly to all subscribers,” the newspaper reports. The FCC’s unanimous decision about so-called net neutrality rules marks a loss for these telecoms in the first part of this battle. It’s a victory, however, for Internet application companies such as Google, Facebook and Skype.

The next line of defense for telecoms will be Congress, where the companies may find some friendlier faces among the bunch. Since the start of the 2008 election cycle, telephone utility companies have given $12.7 million to federal candidates and party committees and spent $118.7 million on lobbying. Current lawmakers have collected $37.9 million from the industry, with Republicans collecting 51 percent of that.

The computers and Internet industry has spent even more money politicking and has leaned a little more heavily toward Democrats, giving current members of that party 60 percent of their nearly $50 million in total contributions. The industry has also spent $331.4 million on lobbying since 2007.

As the top all-time donor to federal politics, AT&T may have an especially strong standing on Capitol Hill. The company’s employees and political action committee have given $22.6 million since 1989 to current lawmakers through their candidate committees and leadership PACs, with 52 percent of that going to Republicans.

Verizon, too, is considered a “Heavy Hitter” for its extensive contributions over the years to federal political candidates. Current lawmakers have collected $9.2 million from Verizon’s employees and political action committee since 1989, with Democrats receiving 51 percent of that.

Compare that to Google and Facebook, and Skype’s parent company, eBay. Together these three have contributed just $1.5 million to current lawmakers during the past two decades. The Internet application companies say that “an unfettered network is necessary to encourage innovation,” according to CNN,com.

And while Comcast, AT&T and Verizon have together spent nearly $120 million on lobbying expenditures since the start of 2007, Google, Facebook and eBay have spent a small fraction of that, at about $13 million. “Staffers at the FCC and on Capitol Hill say AT&T has been the most aggressive company in the lobbying battle,” The Hill reported.

AT&T helped craft a letter from more than 70 House Democrats to the FCC about their concerns surrounding net neutrality regulations. And in the hours before the FCC announced its decision, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) proposed a bill that would stop the commission from having that regulatory power over the Internet.

McCain said his bill will “keep the Internet free from government control and regulation,” according to Reuters. “It will allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment. Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy.”

No current member of Congress has received more money from AT&T, Verizon, telephone utility companies or telecom services and equipment companies than McCain. Together, AT&T and Verizon have contributed $733,450 to the senator (including for his 2008 presidential campaign) since 1989, while the industries have given him a combined $1.9 million in that time.

Here are the current lawmakers to bring in the most through their leadership PACs and candidate committees from telephone utility companies since 1989:

Name

Total

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz)

$1,066,064

Rep. John D Dingell (D-Mich)

$551,909

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va)

$538,747

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)

$415,958

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)

$403,420

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass)

$378,863

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo)

$371,478

Rep. Edward J Markey (D-Mass)

$370,300

Sen. Byron L Dorgan (D-ND)

$329,218

Rep. Steny H Hoyer (D-Md)

$324,090

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan)

$300,914

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va)

$299,650

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky)

$299,386

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn)

$296,865

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)

$293,899

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich)

$276,570

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

$269,057

Rep. John M Shimkus (R-Ill)

$260,458

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla)

$237,450

Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky)

$236,990

Download a spreadsheet with the names of all current lawmakers and their total haul from telephone utility companies, telecom services and equipment companies and the computers/Internet industry haul here: TelecomContribs.xls(Note: If you use this data, please be sure to credit CRP.)

Markey has collected $370,000 from telephone utility companies, which is more than all but seven current members of Congress and $280,250 from the computers and Internet industry.

Eshoo, on the other hand, is No. 82 on the list of recipients of cash from telephone utility companies at $129,500. She’s brought in $682,200 from the computers and Internet industry, however, which is more than all other current members of the U.S House of Representatives but two.

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